The appearance of colored fabrics, e.g., clothing, bedding, household fabrics like table linens is one of the area of concern to consumers. Indeed, upon typical consumer's uses of the fabrics such as wearing, washing, rinsing and/or tumble-drying of fabrics, a loss in the fabric appearance; which is at least partly due to loss of color fidelity and color definition, is observed. Such a problem of color loss is even more acute after multiwash cycles.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a composition which provides improved color care to the laundered fabrics, especially after multiwash cycles.
The Applicant has now surprisingly found that the combination of a cationic biodegradable fabric softener and a specific alkoxylated amino-functional polymer in a liquid fabric softening composition overcomes the problem.
Another advantage of the composition of the invention is that said specific alkoxylated amino-functional polymers can be formulated at higher levels in fabric softening compositions, without being detrimental to the stability of the composition, thereby increasing the color care benefit. Indeed, it has been surprisingly found that, compared to non-alkoxylated amino-functional polymers, alkoxylated amino-functional polymers present at a level above 1% by weight of the fabric softening composition do not produce a storage instability of the resulting product.
EP 43,622 discloses fabric softening compositions comprising a water-insoluble cationic fabric softener and a polyethylene imine as part of a two-component viscosity regulator. One example is disclosing di(2-tallowylamido)ethyl methyl ammonium chloride) in combination with ethoxylated polyethylene imine having a molecular weight of 60.000. No other biodegradable fabric softeners are described. The compositions of the '622 are said to display viscosity control.